1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control system that assists a shifting operation of a transmission and a vehicle including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
When operating a gearshift in a vehicle with a manual transmission, first, a driver usually disconnects a clutch. Thus, power transmission from a crankshaft of an engine to a main shaft of the transmission is stopped, so that gears are easily disconnected. In this state, the driver performs a shifting operation and changes gear positions. Finally, the driver connects the clutch, so that the power is transmitted from the crankshaft to the main shaft. In this way, the gearshift is completed.
During a race or other high speed activities, the gearshift is required to be operated quickly. Therefore, in some situations, the driver operates the gearshift without a clutch operation (hereinafter referred to as “clutchless shifting”). In such situations, since the gearshift is operated while the power is being transmitted from the crankshaft to the main shaft, it is difficult to disconnect the gears. Thus, the driver must adjust an output of the engine so that the gears can be easily disconnected.
The adjustment of the output of the engine, described above, is difficult for a less skilled driver. Therefore, if the less skilled driver performs the clutchless shifting, in some cases, the gearshift cannot be performed smoothly.
Conventionally, a device that controls the output of the engine during the clutchless shifting has been developed (see JP 2813009 B, for example).
In a transmission device for the vehicle described in JP 2813009 B, when an up-shifting operation is performed by the driver and a torque is transmitted from the engine to a drive wheel, an output torque of the engine is temporarily decreased. Accordingly, a transmission torque of a transmission mechanism is decreased, so that the up-shifting can be performed without the clutch operation.
In addition, when a down-shifting operation is performed by the driver and the torque is transmitted from the drive wheel to the engine, the output torque of the engine is temporarily increased. Thus, the transmission torque of the transmission mechanism is decreased, so that the down-shifting can be performed without the clutch operation.
In the transmission device for the vehicle of the above-described JP 2813009 B, a determination as to whether the output torque of the engine is increased or decreased is made based on transmission directions of the torque that is detected by a torque direction sensor.
However, if the output torque of the engine is adjusted based on the transmission directions of the torque, unnecessary adjustments of the torque are performed in some cases. This produces uncomfortable feelings to the driver.